You probably will have to go to a retail store to get SOMETHING your child needs for the school year. But stretch your dollars and pick up at least some of the back-to-school wardrobe second hand:

• The Mom2Mom List is already posting sale dates for the fall Mom2Mom sales in southeast Michigan.
• The rummage sale list on the MonroeTalks calendar is a bit quiet for now, but I expect it will get busy soon with the late summer sales.
• Check out the second-hand and thrift shops this week when most families are thinking about the Monroe County Fair, or early next week when local families are just starting to think about school, for the best selection on back-to-school attire. The Monroe Thrift Shop, for example, has announced its back-to-school sale starting Monday.
• If your child’s school encourages or requires uniforms, ask the school staff about hand-me-downs. Many of them maintain a hand-me-down closet or will refer you to a mother’s club. If you can get some pieces from the hand-me-down collection, even if you need to fill in with new purchases of shirts or pants, you’ve saved some money.

And in the meantime, clean out your own child’s closet and get the too-small stuff out of your house!